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Four Lane Ends Interchange
Multimodal transport hub including Tyne and Wear Metro station
Interchange concourse before redevelopment in 2004
General information
Location	Longbenton, North Tyneside England
Coordinates	55°00′37″N 1°34′43″W / 55.0101640°N 1.5785049°W / 55.0101640; -1.5785049
Grid reference	NZ270684
Transit authority	Tyne and Wear PTE
Platforms	2
Tracks	2
Bus stands	7
Construction
Parking	475 spaces
Bicycle facilities	5 cycle lockers 5 cycle pods
Accessible	Step-free access to platform
Other information
Station code	FLE
Fare zone	B
History
Original company	Blyth and Tyne Railway
Key dates
26 June 1864	Opened
1 March 1871	Closed
11 August 1980	Re-opened
Passengers
2017/18	0.46 million
Services
Preceding station Tyne and Wear Metro Following station Longbentontowards South Shields Yellow Line Bentontowards St James via Whitley Bay
Location Four Lane Ends InterchangeLocation in Tyne and Wear, England

The Four Lane Ends Interchange is a multimodal transport hub in the borough of North Tyneside in the English metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear. It includes a station on the Tyne and Wear Metro, a bus station and a multi-storey car park. The metro station opened on 11 August 1980, but it is situated on the site of a previous station that opened in 1864, closed in 1871, and was variously called Benton, Long Benton and Longbenton.

The interchange serves the suburbs of Benton and Longbenton. Nearby employment sites include Benton Park View to the west, Tyneview Park to the south east, and Quorum Business Park to the north.

History

The original Blyth and Tyne Railway station at this site opened on 26 June 1864, with the opening of the line, but closed on 1 March 1871, with the opening of the new station that became Benton Metro station. It is referred to as Long Benton in its owner's timetables, as Longbenton on their map, and as Benton in Bradshaw's Guide. The last remains of this station disappeared during the construction of the metro station. It should not be confused with the much later station, on a different site, that became Longbenton Metro station.

The current station opened on 11 August 1980 with the opening of the first phase of the metro, between Haymarket and Tynemouth. The station is located at the junction of Benton Lane (A188), Benton Park Road (A191) and Front Street (A191). The crossroads has historically been important for traders, cattle drivers, and those transporting local salts and lime towards the shipyards and factories in Newcastle.

Unlike neighbouring Longbenton and Benton, Four Lane Ends was purpose-built for the Tyne and Wear Metro network. These purpose-built stations, such as Four Lane Ends, Heworth and Regent Centre, had a definite corporate look of rectangular blocks, light enamelled wall panels, and black roofing.

The interchange was redeveloped in 2004, to include a 475 space multi-storey car park, as well as improved passenger facilities. As part of the Metro: All Change programme, new lifts were installed at Four Lane Ends in 2012, with new escalators installed in 2015.

Facilities

The interchange comprises the metro station, a bus station, a taxi rank, and a multi-storey car park that has 457 spaces plus 22 accessible spaces. There is also the provision for cycle parking, with five cycle pods, five cycle lockers, and 18 cycle spaces. The interchange also houses a small number of shops and services, including a newsagents, sandwich shop and hairdressers. There are public and disabled toilet facilities.

The metro station is at the lowest level of the interchange, is fully covered by the buildings above, and has two side platforms. Step-free access is available, with lifts, as well as stairs and escalators, providing step-free access between the platforms and the interchange building above. Each platform is equipped with seating, next train information displays, timetable posters, and an emergency help point.

The interchange is equipped with ticket machines, which are able to accept payment with credit and debit card (including contactless payment), notes and coins. The interchange is also fitted with smartcard validators, which feature at all stations across the network.

The bus station is located above the metro station and surrounding the interchange building. It is served by Arriva North East, Go North East and Stagecoach in Newcastle's local bus services, with frequent routes serving Newcastle upon Tyne and North Tyneside. The bus station has seven departure stands (lettered A–G), each of which is fitted with seating, next bus information displays, and timetable posters.

Services

As of September 2024, the station is served by up to five trains per hour per direction on weekdays and Saturday, and up to four trains per hour during the evening and on Sunday. In the eastbound direction, trains run to St James via Whitley Bay. In the westbound direction, trains run to South Shields via Monument.

Rolling stock used: Class 599 Metrocar

Art Installations

Four Lane Ends houses two art installations, both of which were commissioned in the early 2000s. Andrew Stonyer's Pulse (2000) features in the station's courtyard, adjacent to the ticket concourse, and consists of a 6 m (20 ft) diameter corten steel ring, with a circle of bright neon red. Cath Campbell's Detour (2003) features on the south and west elevations of the station's multi-storey car park, creating an "animated" and "dynamic" surface, describing movement and journeys through space.

References

1. "Tyne & Wear Metro usage figures". 2017–2018. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
2. "Benton Station (1st site)". Disused Stations. Archived from the original on 10 September 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
3. "New passenger lifts for Heworth and Four Lane Ends". Nexus. 4 July 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
4. "New escalators for Heworth and Gateshead". Nexus. 8 March 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
5. ^ "Timetables and stations: Four Lane Ends". Nexus. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
6. ^ "Four Lane Ends bus station". Nexus. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
7. "Metro passengers feel the benefit of contactless payment". Nexus. 13 January 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
8. "Revamp for Metro ticket machines". BBC News. 11 December 2011. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
9. "City Metro stations get new smart ticket machines and gates". Nexus. 22 October 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
10. "Pop card validators at Metro stations are put through their paces". Nexus. 21 March 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
11. "'Pulse' by Andrew Stonyer". Nexus. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
12. "'Detour' by Cath Campbell". Nexus. Retrieved 4 June 2020.

External links

• Media related to Four Lane Ends Interchange at Wikimedia Commons
• Timetable and station information for Four Lane Ends

• Metropolitan Borough of North Tyneside
• 1980 establishments in England
• Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1980
• Tyne and Wear Metro Yellow line stations
• Transport in Tyne and Wear
• Bus stations in Tyne and Wear